Basement Office/Family Room Makeover

• A warm shade of yellow paint on the walls brightens the long and narrow space.
  
• An area rug is painted directly onto the cement floor using acrylic paint. Ramirez marks out a 4' x 8' rectangle in front of the fireplace with a 6-inch border and diamond shapes in the middle. She paints the border sage green and the diamonds black and gray. The finishing touches are a painted faux fringe along the edges and a ladybug rub-on transfer on one corner. The entire "rug" is sealed with several coats of polyurethane.
  
• The windows are dressed with lacy panels hung from clip rings. The rings are held up with iron plant hooks.
  
• The furniture is then repositioned in front of the fireplace for a conversation area. The homeowner's two end tables are placed together in front of the sofa for one large coffee table.
  
• A sofa table is constructed out of a shutter for the top and table legs. Ramirez adds a scalloped wood apron for stability.
  
• One display table is cut in half to make two tables for either side of the fireplace. The two half tables are attached to the wall with L-brackets. Tall topiaries add height to the design.
  
• Two standard bed pillows are covered with custom pillow covers.
  
• An oversized skirted sawhorse desk is placed against the back wall of the home office half of the room. It functions as both a work station and display area with hidden storage underneath. Three sawhorses serve as the table legs and an 8-foot piece of plywood is used for the tabletop. They attach molding to trim out the edges and paint the entire piece sage green. A fabric skirt is secured to the underside of the table with Velcro.
  
• A message board is hidden behind a piece of artwork.
  
• Accessories for the desk include a fabric box to hold office essentials, wicker baskets, a floral fabric and ribbon bulletin board and a wrought-iron plate rack used to display postcards and other memorabilia
  
• The homeowner's stainless steel café table is brought back and paired with new fringed stools for a game station.
  
• A large blank wall is filled with custom fabric plaques personalized with buttons, lace, beads and upholstery nails.

Steps:

1. Assemble three sawhorses.
   
2. Attach an 8-foot board for the top. Trim with molding.
   
3. Paint, as desired.
   
4. Use Velcro to secure a fabric skirt to the underside of the molding.

Steps:

1. Construct a frame on a piece of plywood. Paint white.
   
2. Adhere a dry erase board to the plywood.
   
3. Attach a framed print to the box frame with hinges.
   

$40 - 2 gallons of paint (Behr - Golden Eyes 1A10-5)
$4 - acrylic paint for rug (Michaels: Plaid - Medium Gray #425, Wrought Iron #925; Aleene's - Burgundy)
$79 - window treatment (Home Depot: hooks - Amertac Vinal Coated Hooks Black S14BL; clip rings - Fashion Trends by Kirsch Black #055710.057)
$20 - table
$16 - shutter and legs (garage sale)
$1.69 - wood apron for sofa table (Home Depot)
$54 - pillows (Calico Corners - fabric)
$9 - floral throw (fabric outlet)
$89.46 - skirted desk (fabric - outlet; paint - Behr, Chinois 3A2-4)
$25 - hidden message board
$5 - fabric box (Marshalls)
$8 - bulletin board (Marshalls)
$40 - 2 stools and fringe (Menards)
$51.75 - fabric plaques (Home Depot - frames)
$15 - flowers

$457.90 - Total Cost